During a safety car period in the middle of the race, Aston Martin’s Stroll crashed into the back of Ricciardo’s car at the hairpin, causing Ricciardo to retire because his car got damaged.
Ricciardo was really angry that Stroll didn’t admit he was responsible for the crash, and Stroll thought his penalty was unfair.
But even though Ricciardo hasn’t scored any points yet this season, making it a rough start, he felt better about the Chinese Grand Prix until the crash with Stroll.
In both the sprint race and the main race, Ricciardo qualified ahead of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, and he was in a good position to score points in both races.
“It was a bit of a up-and-down race,” Ricciardo said. “Everyone pitted early, so we stayed out longer. When we put on the second set of medium tires, we were really fast, even though we only drove for a few laps. It felt really quick.
“We chose to stay out longer for track position. We planned to put on soft tires at the end, which would have been really good for us.
“Of course, I was disappointed and frustrated right after the crash, but in 48 hours, when I look back, it was actually a good weekend.
“As a team, it feels like a setback right now. But, looking deeper, there are some positive things.”
Before the race in Shanghai, Ricciardo asked Red Bull for a new chassis. It’s not clear if there was actually something wrong with his old one, or if it’s just in his mind, but he felt better with the new chassis.
“From the beginning, I felt better and everything was smoother,” he said.
“We did change the chassis. I don’t want to say for sure that was the reason. But something didn’t feel right with the old chassis I was using.
“I hope in five races I can say for sure, because then it means the season has turned around. We’ll see in Miami, and Imola, and maybe the next few races if it continues.”
